How To Ship A Mattress

Shipping A Mattress

Shipping a mattress long distance isn’t like shipping your sister’s shirt to her after she forgot it at your house during her last visit. Fortunately though, it’s a lot easier than driving a mattress in the back of a truck, moving truck, or god forbid tied to the top of your ‘11 Corolla. Many people are just unclear about the process, or how to start.

The only circumstance in which we suggest somebody shouldn’t ship their mattress is if their bed is less money than it’s worth. Let’s say you’re looking to ship your $200 mattress from Sacramento, CA to Denver, CO. The cost to ship your mattress will be more than your mattress itself, and at that point, we suggest you purchase a new bed instead of spending the money to transport it. There are many affordable bed-in-a-box brands you can look into who will ship your mattress to your home, or whichever address you choose, for free.

For everyone else, continue along to find out how to go about shipping your mattress.

How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Mattress?

There are several key factors that impact how much it will cost to ship your mattress. Some of the most important ones include: 

• The size and weight of your mattress
• The distance between pickup and drop-off locations
• How quickly you’d like your mattress to arrive

Shipping an individual mattress with a box spring is usually more affordable than renting a moving truck to move your mattress. I (Slumber Yard member McKenzie Dillon) recently rented the smallest moving truck U-Haul had, to move a couch 200 miles from my parent’s house to my new apartment. It ended up costing me around $320, plus all the money I had to spend to fill up the gas guzzler on the way there, and at drop off. And I could only imagine the money I would’ve spent if I had to ship a mattress across several states, or even the country.

Think about it this way. When you pay for a moving truck, you pay to use the entire space in the back and the vehicle. When you ship a mattress and a box spring, you’re only paying for the space it takes up rather than the whole truck.

One additional cost you should think about is insurance. If you’ve ever received a package you were excited to open, only to find out whatever was inside is now broken to pieces, you know the frustration and you probably don’t want it to happen again. So if your mattress significantly outweighs the cost of shipping, you may want to seriously consider insurance. It’s possible the shipping company you choose could recommend somebody, or you can find a third-party insurance provider by looking around online.

Guide To Shipping A Mattress

To avoid damage the best you can, you’ll need to properly package your mattress (and box spring if you’re including that also).

1. Measure Your Mattress

It’s important to get the weight dimensions of your mattress so you can receive an accurate quote of how much the shipment will cost. Take a look at the standard measurements for each mattress size for guidance.

• Twin: 38” x 75” 60 lbs
• Full: 54” x 74” 90 lbs
• Queen: 60” x 80” 105 lbs
• King: 76” x 80” 125 lbs

You’ll also have to measure your box spring or foundation, but you’ll probably have to guess the weight. On average, they’re usually around 50-75 lbs.

2. Gather Quotes

Finding the right quote for your mattress shipment is like finding the best car insurance quote; you probably shouldn’t settle for the first one you get. There are a few websites where you can request a free quote, including uship.com, tsishipping.com, and freightpros.com. All you’ll need to do is enter the type of furniture you want shipped, the measurements you took earlier, the pickup point, and the mattress’ destination.

As a pro tip, you can name the price you want to pay if the quotes you receive are a little out of your price range. For example, Uship has a section on their website where you can “name your price” and look to see if any service provider will do it at your rate.

3. Remove Bedding And Disassemble

Before doing anything, you should remove and separately pack your comforter, pillows, sheets, and whatever else you have on top of your bed. Then, disassemble the frame and put any small hardware pieces in a ziplock bag to keep important parts from going missing. Make sure to keep all the components of your frame or foundation together also, so you don’t have to scramble to put everything back together later on.

4. Package Your Bed

To ensure your mattress makes it to its destination safe and soundly, it’s important to understand how to pack a mattress correctly. First, wrap your bed and box spring in a few layers of bubble wrap or packing foam. Then, as an extra precaution, place it inside a protective mattress case. The cases are usually made out of cotton or vinyl, and they zip on like a mattress cover would. You can purchase one online at Amazon.com, or at most bedding brick-and-mortar retailers. Finally, place the encased mattress and box spring inside a box, and fill the empty space with package peanuts if needed.

5. Arrange For Pickup

Once you decide the company you’re going to ship your mattress with, you’ll either want to arrange for curbside pickup, or coordinate a delivery location where you can drop your mattress off. Some service providers will offer White Glove Delivery, which means they’ll come inside your home, wrap your mattress, and load it into their truck without you having to lift a finger. It’s more expensive, but it’s a great option for people who want or need extra assistance.

Is It Worth It to Ship a Mattress?

With all of that in mind, you might be wondering if it’s even worth shipping a mattress at all. In some cases, it does make sense to ship your mattress, especially if it’s new, expensive, or you just really love it. Under those circumstances, it will be easier to justify the cost to ship a mattress.

But in other cases, you could save yourself time and money by just buying a new bed — especially if your bed is more than 10 years old. Plus, with so many great deals on bed-in-a-box mattresses these days, it could end up being more cost-effective to get rid of your old bed and invest in a new one. 

Final Thoughts

With the right preparation, shipping a mattress doesn’t have to be difficult. If you decide to ship it, you should be sure to follow the steps we’ve outlined above to protect your mattress and box spring and get it to your destination in good shape. 

But while it is possible to ship a mattress, it isn’t exactly cheap. Whether you pay for a shipping service or rent a moving truck, the costs of shipping your bed can add up quickly. However, there are situations when you simply have no other choice, so learning how to ship a mattress properly will help you simplify the process.